Securing or releasing means for load-binding chains.



' UNITED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

PATE T OFFICE.

WILLIAM MARTIN CAIN, OF CARLTON, MINNESOTA.

SECURING OR RELEASING MEANS FOR LOAD-BINDING CHAlNS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,492, dated. January 31-, 1905.

Application filed October 20, 1902. Renewed January 3, 1905. Serial No. 239,425.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MARTIN CAIN, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Carlton, in the county of Carlton and State of Min-- nesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Securing or Releasing Means for Load-Binding Chains; and I do hereby de clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to securing and releasing means for load-binding chains, and has for its object the provision of means whereby the terminals of a load-binding chain may be secured to the load-supporting vehicle and by whichsaid chain may be easily and quickly released, when desired, by an opera; tor occupying a position of safety.

It consists, in combination with a vehicle or other suitable support, of a housingsecured thereto, an eyebolt seated in said housing and provided with a key-receiving groove, a horizontal shaft journaled in said housing and adapted to operate as a key for said eye. bolt, and means for operating said shaft.

It also consists of certain other constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is'a front elevation of the longitudinal sill at one side of a platform-car, showing three 'of my s'a-id chainreleasers attached thereto and means for operating the same. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through said sill and through the center of one of said.chain-re leasers. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of said invention upon the line 00 'w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a central horizontal section of a portion of said sill and one ofsaid chainreleasers. v

In the drawings, 1 is the longitudinal sill of a platform-car, upon the outside'faceof which, by-means of U-bolts 2 or any other suitable means, is secured a housing, preferably formed of two parts 3 -and'3, respectively, vertically arranged, which housing is apertured to receive a horizontal shaft 4, journaled therein. Said shaft 4: is preferably swelled or enlarged at its central portion, as at 4, and has formed therein a slot, as at 4: extending half through such swelled portion diametrically of said shaft and extending longitudinally from the planeof one side wall to the plane of the opposite sidewall of said housing. Said shaft is also-adapted at its respective ends to be coupled, in any suitable or desirable manner, as at 4 and a, respectively, to link-shafts 5, which shafts 5 may, if desired, be further supported by any suitable means, as by one or more straps similar to the strap 6, 'one of which straps may, as shown, assist in supporting one of the shafts 4 if the end of such shaft reaches to the end of the car. Upon one end of one of said shafts 5, preferably at one end of the car or, if desired, upon one end of one of the shafts 4, if, as shown, the endof such latter shaft shall reach to the end of the car, is secured a crank-handle 7 or other suitable means, whereby said shafts may be rotated. Any suitable locking means (not shown) may, if desired, be attached to said car and adapted to engage said I 8, adapted to receive the terminal hook of a chain 8 and having a shaft-receiving groove 8 formed in its shank portion, is in operative position seated in said housing and extends upward therefrom, the construction being such that the foot of said eyebolt may be passed vertically across said shaft I, through the slotted portion 4 thereof, and the swelled portion 4: upon one side of said shaft, then turned into said groove 8", thereby operating as a key to retain said eyebolt in said housing. While I have described an eyebolt,

it is obvious that the head of said bolt may be formed as ahook within the scope of my invention and that said chain-releasers may be inclined, or may be secured to the ends of of said housing.- The eyebolt 8 is then pro- 100 jeeted downward into said housing between said shaft and the rear wall of said housing, the foot of said. eyebolt passing through the said slot 4:" in said shaft. The shaft i is then given a half-turn to bring the swelled portion et into said groove 8", thereby locking said eyebolt in said housing. The chain 8 is then passed over the load and its terminal hook engaged with said eyebolt, the slack in said chain being taken up by weighting the chain on top of the main load or by any other suitable means. When desired to debark said load, said shaft 4 is preferably turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, in which case the upward strain of the chain 8 upon the said eyebolt will assist the rotation of said shaft shortly after said rotation has commenced, said eyebolt gradually emerging from said housing and being entirely freed therefrom as soon as the shaft 4 has com pleted a half-turn, thereby releasing said load.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In securing and releasing means for loadbinding chains, the combination with a suitable support, of a housing secured thereto, a shaft-journaled in said housing, said shaft having a slot formed in the portion inclosed between the walls of said housing, a bolt, formed with a chain or cable engaging head and a grooved shank portion, seated in said housing and adapted, in operative position, to engage said shaft, and means for operating said shaft, substantially as described.

2. In means for the purposes described, the combination with a suitable support of a housing formed in two parts, vertically arranged and secured thereto, a shaftjournalral in said housing and formed with a swelled portion between the walls of said housing,said swelled portion having a slot formed therein, a bolt, formed with a chain or cable engaging head and a grooved shank, seated in said housing, the groove in said shank being adapted to receive the swelled portion of said shaft, and the slot in said shaft being adapted to permit the passage of the foot of said bolt, and a shaft, or series of shafts, connected at one end to the first said shaft, and provided atthe opposite end with a handle for turning the same, substantially as described.

3. In means for the purpose described, the combination with a suitable support, of a housing secured thereto, a horizontally-arranged shaft journaled in said housing and provided intermediate of its ends with a slot adapted to permit the passage of a vertically-directed bolt, a vertically-arranged bolt, seated in said housing and adapted at its outer end to engage achain or cable, and provided with a hori zontal groove in its shank portion, adapted to receive the portion of said shaft forming the back wall of said slot, when said shaft is given a half-turn after the projection, the foot of said bolt through said slot and below said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft, substantially as described.

.In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM MARTIN CAIN.

itnesses:

A. H. LEE, H. W. BARKER. 

